


Third Plant's The Charm

by yuedemao



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Eventual Romance, Gardens & Gardening, Growth, M/M, Second Chances, and a whole lot mentions of growth, zhengkun every other scene lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26814688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuedemao/pseuds/yuedemao
Summary: Yanjun joins the gardening club for the love of his life, but he wasn't anywhere near a green thumb. Zhangjing notices, but he's always willing to give all the chances in the world.
Relationships: Lin Yanjun/You Zhangjing
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16
Collections: Cloud 9 Fic Fest





	Third Plant's The Charm

Yanjun wasn’t exactly sure when he started liking boys, but now he’s looking at a certain petite boy seated at the front of the room’s left-most corner as if it’s the only thing that makes attending this class bearable. He tries to shift his attention to his notes and clicked the pen at hand, only to start doodling swirls randomly on the margins of another empty page in his notebook, spiraling to nothing but thoughts of how soft the curls of the boy’s hair would feel like if he ran his fingers through them.

“That’s You Zhangjing, bio major.” His seatmate nonchalantly said, not even throwing Yanjun a glance with his bored eyes as he pretended to focus at the instructor. That doesn’t stop Yanjun from making a face like a deer caught in the headlights. “Just saying, ‘cause you really look… interested. For a while now. I’m Xiao Gui, by the way.”

 _You Zhangjing is a cute name_. Yanjun doesn’t say it out loud though, because this seatmate of his seems cool, and in fact had a cool name himself. It’s weird enough that he noticed how Yanjun was being a creep. Yanjun nods instead and goes back to his non-existent notes. _You Zhangjing, who has skin as white as milk, who glows whenever the sun shone on him through the room’s large window right beside him..._ He snickered. “Crazy, man.”

And crazy he really was, as he moved with no rush once classes were dismissed and passed by the main hallway, searching for a name on the bulletin boards. With his bag slung heavy on his right shoulder, he took his time to read through the academic and non-academic clubs’ posts, before he found what he was looking for. He just signed his name up on a sheet pinned on the bottom part of the board and left.

++

"You signed up for what?" Yanjun's pretty sure Zhengting heard him the first time so he doesn't repeat himself, waiting for his friend to start lecturing him about his terrible choice of a club to join this year. "What in the world do you even know about plants to have the guts to join the Gardening Club, Lin Yanjun?"

"I'm not sure, but maybe I can figure it out?" Yanjun tries, although he knows for himself how far that answer could only go. "I mean, they're little immobile things. It probably wouldn't be so hard."

“Tell me, there must be a reason behind this. I mean, I’m in the dance club for a reason, and I thought you would be the same, choosing something you actually like.”

“Well,” Yanjun just wanted to be done with this now, choosing to be honest instead of miserably failing to justify himself. “I like the club president.”

“You what?!”

“Look, whatever his club would’ve been, I think I would take the chance?” It sounded more like a question even for Yanjun himself, his mind probably taking side with Zhengting now.

“You like You Zhangjing, oh my god.” Zhengting was fanning himself as if he can’t believe what he found out. Yanjun doesn’t really talk much about his crushes, only because he barely had one, so this is indeed a new experience for his roommate. “He’s so fucking cute and I see his perfectionist ass during org meetings, I should have known he’s your type!”

“It’s not like I ever had a type.”

”Right. Just hope Zhangjing’s type is someone who dares call his precious potted babies little immobile things- aw!" Yanjun could only throw a pillow on his roommate's face.

++

Turns out Zhengting was right. Yanjun realizes he doesn't know shit about the greens, and it was definitely harder than he thought it would be. The first gardening club meeting was scheduled today and even if he was there to see You Zhangjing in the first place, he had to blend in in the club-- he can't really be useless in the eyes of the love of his life, can he? The problem is, the only gardening experience Yanjun ever had was taking pictures of his neighbor's outdoor plants in his infamous oblique angle shots.

He sighs. That wasn't even close to gardening. At all.

"Hi! You're the newbie?" A boy approaches him once he's set foot in the botanical garden. It's literally the first time Yanjun was in there, not knowing exactly where the meeting should be held at when there's just soil and plants and more soil-- "I'm Nongnong! Here's your apron," Nongnong already has a gardening apron on, his name embroidered on its upper left part. "Zhangjing had it done at once since you're the only new member! He'll be here soon."

Yanjun still doesn't speak, but he offers a small smile in return to Nongnong's warm welcome, taking the apron in his hands. "Go on. Anyway, I'll be right there with Justin!" Nongnong left him to himself and scurried to the other side of the garden, helping out another boy in a similar apron on digging

It doesn't take long (actually, it took forever since Yanjun stood there like a garden statue, all handsome but not sure of what to do) until the Gardening Club president arrived, waving at everyone who greeted him as he came in.

“Hey, hi! You must be Lin Yanjun! I'm You Zhangjing," the smaller boy reached out to shake his hand, and it almost took all of Yanjun's self-control to not melt at how cute the president's bunny teeth looked up close when he smiles. "I've only seen your name on the registration sheet, I honestly didn't think we're going to get new people this year. I see you've been given the apron?"

"Ah, yes." Yanjun couldn't risk saying anything else that may sound dumb in front of his crush so he limits his words (as if he isn't already limited enough).

"Alright, so you've got to wear it every time we're here since garden aprons keep your clothes clean out here. Anyway, come on, I'll show you a few things." Zhangjing starts walking towards the back where there were a few empty pots and a huge wooden shelf that contained the gardening tools. Yanjun follows his lead, trying to tie the ribbon-like strips of his new apron on his back, but failing rather miserably. "We have a strict budget so every one only gets one of those, so I decided we wouldn't be needing club shirts anymore. I hope you don't mind?"

Zhangjing turns, and sees him struggling with the damn ribbons, which is totally uncool, if he may say so himself. "Oh, do you need help?"

Yanjun smiles sheepishly. "Yes, please." It may be a stupid move in the books as Yanjun stood there stiff, hearing his heartbeat race faster while the love of his life tied the apron on his back. If he daydreamed of Zhangjing hugging him from behind afterwards, it’s his sweet secret to keep. He has more important things to think about now, like the difference between a garden trowel, a garden spade, a garden fork… and basically all the other gardening things Zhangjing kept pointing to him at. He’ll make sure to print out a list and study them later.

"Anything else you would like to ask? I just had to go over the things we have in here so you wouldn't have trouble finding them." Zhangjing beams like he isn't tired of speaking to Yanjun about every single thing in the shelves without getting a proper response aside from nods and hums (it’s not like Yanjun knows anything to even say something anyway). "Just in case I’m not around, Nongnong has been here with me since the beginning so he could lend you a hand too, okay?"

As if on cue, Nongnong appears behind the club president, but the smile on his face that was there when he first approached Yanjun was gone. "Justin. He keeps killing the plant Chengcheng likes but he seems far from giving up."

"Ei, cheer up! I know he doesn't have the thumb for gardening at all, but at least he does it for love!" Zhangjing pats the other boy's back in assurance but Nongnong could only purse his lips, looking back at Justin. “Let’s cut him some slack. I sincerely hope his efforts would pay off, you know?”

Yanjun awkwardly stood there, knowing he'll be just like Justin, sooner or later.

++

"What's up today, garden boy?" Zhengting asks Yanjun later on that day. They’ve developed a level of closeness despite their differences, which is why Yanjun does not even ask anymore why Zhengting is dressed up even if it's late in the evening. "Let me catch up with your sad ass before I go out and have fun with my date."

"Maybe if you didn't rub it in my face I'd forget I am sad." He mumbles, hiding himself under his blanket. "Also, don't call me garden boy."

"Right, even the nickname doesn't suit you." Zhengting laughs, knowing full well that Yanjun’s now scowling under the sheets at him. "What even went in your head to join Zhangjing's club? I doubt you have a green thumb... do you even know what a green thumb is?"

"Of course I do." Yanjun sits up, his brows furrowed at the ridiculousness of the situation he put himself in. "I don’t really know if the concept of green thumb is real. I just wanted to try something new."

"Did you think that that would impress him," Zhengting scoffs. "You went for his gardening club instead of the Mathematics club. The club where you’ll be fucking good at that they offered you a good spot."

"I’m sick of numbers."

"Or maybe you’re just so whipped. A shame since you’re actually great in Math and helped me with my problem sets, thank you very much." Zhengting says to end the conversation before he stood up, ready to go. "I could hear Xukun's bike, I'm going. Check my eyes?"

Yanjun obeys. "Is that new eyeshadow?"

"Yeah, Xukun and I got the same shade!" Zhengting just winks at Yanjun's disgusted face. "Bye, garden boy!"

++

_You are added to the group plants vs zombies._

**Xiao You**

_Hi Yanjun! Welcome to our Botanical group chat!_

**Lin Yanjun**

_Hi. Thank you for having me._

**Just In**

_hiiii_

_sorry i was busy to greet u a while ago_

**Lin Yanjun**

_That's fine. I hope your plant grows._

**Xiao You**

_Aww that's sweet_

**Nongnong**

_Hey Yanjun, you have to go thru initiation rites!_

**Lin Yanjun**

_Initiation rites?_

**chaoze**

_Eyyy sorry I had dance practice today_

_But I usually don't miss the club activities so see you soon Yanjun_

_Yeah initiation rites!!!_

**Xiao You**

_When are we going then? This weekend?_

_Are you guys free?_

**Lin Yanjun**

_Yes. Do I need to bring anything?_

**Nongnong**

_We have everything in the garden don't worry!_

**Just In**

_just bring your green thumb~~_

Well, he doesn't need to bring anything then.

++

While Zhengting is having the time of his life with someone he complements with (miraculously, he says, Xukun could stand dating Zhengting more than a day), Yanjun is stuck on the ground, guessing what the difference between native soil and mixed earth was as Zhangjing explains it to him. Apparently, the initiation rites they were talking about yesterday night was just planting a random seed and then finding out what it is when it grows. If it doesn't, Yanjun would have to keep trying until it did.

"There, you could place the seeds now!" Zhangjing cheers, clapping his gloved hands after making an inch-deep crater in the soil. Yanjun carefully presses the seeds in the middle of it, wishing so hard to himself that they don't die.

When everyone else turned busy, Zhangjing lightly nudged Yanjun’s side, to which he turned his head slightly to face him. "I don't usually say what the seed is until it grows, but I could make you an exception."

If a heart can go nuts then it happened to Yanjun's, hearing his crush talk to him like this, and making him feel like he's got some special member privilege. Zhangjing leaned in closer, peeking at the rest of the club members to make sure they weren't aware of the secret he's about to whisper. Yanjun could barely hide his smile, and if he squinted he would've seen Zhangjing staring at his dimple for a split second. "It's a Bachelor's Button." The club president looked really adorable with his sparkly eyes looking straight into Yanjun's and the latter swears, with such a close proximity, he might just steal a kiss.

"How's it going?" Nongnong suddenly asked, an arm now slung on Yanjun. Before either of them could complain about Nongnong sneaking behind them, the boy exclaimed, "Ah! Look at Xiao You’s flower!"

Everyone crowded around them, noticing a couple of budding flowers that's in the medium sized, rectangular pot, labeled _Xiao You's._

"As expected, Zhangjing's buds first. That only means we have to treat him to hotpot, folks!" Chaoze announces, and Yanjun sees how happy the group is for just a simple thing. Growth.

++

The Gardening club finally packed up and were headed to the group's "favorite hotpot place", even more excitedly than Zhangjing who'd be the one to get to eat free tonight. Yanjun walked the same pace as the club president, so they were at the back of the group, where awkwardness ensues. It took a couple of minutes before Yanjun breaks the ice, finally finding something to ask that's not-so out-of-topic. "Uh could I ask a question?"

But then Zhangjing smiles at him and he almost forgot what he was about to ask so he looks ahead, where the rest of the club were noisily chatting. How come he still feels shy seeing that smile like when he saw it the first time? Yanjun knows they do not have that much time since the line of small restaurants are already in sight, so he pushes the thoughts of the first time he fell for Zhangjing's smile away and refocuses himself on the question at hand. "Why did we have to plant in the afternoon?"

"Hmm, it's a good hour for the seed to not get a shock," Zhangjing easily starts, as if the question was something that gets asked everyday. "The warmth the soil has from the sun today is enough, plus it's hours away from facing direct sunlight again."

Yanjun hums. He never thought about plants or what they needed to actually grow. He could remember photosynthesis, yes. But the Gardening Club seems to be more than just the scientific process. He saw how everyone had dedication to what he just used to call "little immobile things". Justin doesn't give up on growing an unknown plant, Nongnong helps everyone with their delicate soil mixtures, and Chaoze keeps track of not just his but everyone else's plant growth when he waters them.

"My turn to ask, hmm?" Zhangjing says, and when Yanjun looked at him there was a meaningful gaze thrown at him. "Why did you join our club?"

Yanjun almost stopped walking. Should he say he wanted to try something new, like he usually says? Contemplating, he looks down at his white shoes; he shouldn't really lie to Zhangjing, right? But how should he say _I joined your club because I like you so much_ in a way that doesn't make it all awkward? Before Yanjun could even formulate his answer, Zhangjing chuckles. "I sort of know you're not really into gardening. It's... kind of obvious, you know?"

"I- I'm sorry." Yanjun wants to hide in embarrassment. Of course, the Gardening Club president would realize that Yanjun can't even plant for his life if he tried. "Does it... bother you? Me not knowing anything about plants, I mean?"

Zhangjing shakes his head and reaches for Yanjun's arm. "No, of course not. Besides, gardening isn't just about green thumbs either. I just want to know if you really want this, because if you do, you could definitely learn it." The club president's cheeks were as red as tomato as he held onto Yanjun's arm, trying to convince him that it does not matter. And as usual, Yanjun missed it, for he kept his eyes on the road while walking, afraid that he'll lose his cool in front of his crush who knows a hundred percent more than he does about plants.

"I'd really love to learn more about gardening though." Yanjun states, and this time, he does not miss the shy smile Zhangjing has on his face.

_I'd love to learn more about you, too._

++

The next few days were going great, Yanjun supposed. Aside from Zhengting being too busy with his boyfriend to tease him about taking too long to make a move on Zhangjing, his plant was growing... steady. Not that Yanjun dislikes waiting, with a patience as thin as his silver dyed hair strands, but the plant seems to not show any significant signs of growth.

"Maybe it's just the specie. I don't know what that is, and we're not supposed to know until it grows to show, but maybe it takes its own time." Chaoze reassures him, and Yanjun just nods. "Maybe."

Or maybe not.

On the second weekend from when he first planted the Bachelor's Button, Yanjun made sure to be extra early on his visit, only to find out that his seedlings had wilted.

Zhangjing's Cosmos were happily blooming, Nongnong's got quite a number of Sunflowers on the other side of the garden, and Chaoze's succulents have each grown a new baby on its side. Justin is on a rare experiement, so he does not really count, but even him has finally had the seedling growing too.

To say Yanjun was devastated was an understatement. He said he wanted to learn, that he'd _love_ to learn, but apparently, he screwed up. What would Zhangjing think?

"It's okay," Nongnong comforts Yanjun with a pat on his shoulder. "You could just try again. Don't worry too much, or else the plants will feel it."

_So, plants have feelings now too, huh._

He must have said that aloud because Chaoze came up to him too. "Yes, some say they do, and that they could even hear us too. So maybe you could try talking to it? Justin usually says ten positive words to his experiment every morning and I think it's finally working."

"My little baby has grown..." They all heard Justin coo once he arrived, seeing the little sprout on his marked soil. "I can’t wait to tell Chengcheng!"

"Who's Chengcheng?" Yanjun asked, now distracted from his current dilemma. "All I heard ever since was Justin is growing a plant for Chengcheng?"

"I don’t know a Chengcheng a-aw!" Chaoze complained when Nongnong elbowed his side. "Fine. Fan Chengcheng. He left… the club a year ago, he liked that plant so much and when Justin was a newbie, he was tasked on watering them but he overwatered it a few times... so it died."

"What died?" A curious Zhangjing appeared, and suddenly Yanjun couldn't even speak for himself. "What's wrong?"

"Eh? Yanjun, what happened to your plant?" Justin butted in, catching everyone's attention as he brought the pot in the midst of examining eyes. "The soil is really moist?"

"Oh. Yanjun must have watered it too much..." Zhangjing says, pressing his bare index finger on the soggy surface. So it's true when people say that history repeats itself; first as tragedy, second as farce. Yanjun wasn’t sure what Zhangjing's expression meant, but after a few moments, was relieved somehow when the club president turned to give him a kind smile. "It's ok. Do you want to try again?"

 _Did it hurt when Zhangjing fell from heaven?_ Yanjun thinks, as he eagerly nodded at the angel in front of him.

And Zhangjing might be a tad bit disappointed, but he doesn't show it. Instead, he was quick on his feet to take a packet of seeds out of the lidded wooden box to hand to Yanjun.

++

"Totally saw this coming. Poor seeds died in your hands." Zhengting tells him, almost laughing but still busy on his phone. "Wait up, Xukun texted. Finally!"

"He probably got tired of your demanding ass already." Yanjun teased, despite sounding uniterested. His roommate threw a pillow at him this time, almost a natural occurence for whenever they talk, there would undoubtedly be pillows flying across the room. "Excuse me? He isn't! He’s just working his ass off with his own dance club and you know I totally get that. If there's someone annoying here, that must be you, garden killer."

A moment of silence emanates in their shared room, before Yanjun groaned loudly that probably even the other boys next door heard him. "I hate you Zhu Zhengting."

"Hah bet your ass that you don't. In fact, you might thank me for this," Zhengting tells him, and in one big step a second later--their shared room isn't really that big anyway--Zhengting was shoving his phone in front of Yanjun's face. "Those Bachelor's Button flowers you killed probably meant something to Zhangjing, so read up, idiot."

> _The Symbolic Meanings of Flowers_
> 
> _Bachelor's Button -- is a flower that bachelors generally wore when they had feelings for a certain person that they were trying to date. They would wear the flower and the longer that the flower lasted, the more that it showed that there was a true love there, if the flower faded away, it wasn’t meant to be._

Yanjun internally cried. The flower didn't even have time to fade away; the seedling _died_. After basking in his self-pity, and after a good kick from Zhengting, Yanjun was convinced to not waste the second chance Zhangjing has given him to grow his flowers.

"If you don't make those Bachelor's Buttons bloom soon, you better leave the club and say goodbye to a chance with the love of your life."

++

It's surprising that a love-struck Lin Yanjun could be diligent if he wanted to. He visited the Botanical Garden much more frequently than the other club members did this time. He tidied up the tall desk and chair at one corner, where he now reviews his notes or does a bit of reading. He's not entirely sure if the plant requires him checking it up after every chapter of his book, but that's what he does anyway. Before he leaves, he goes to his plant and tells it just five positive words, now believing it would make them grow nicely.

Yanjun is not quite decided what positive words to use today, so he chooses to describe You Zhangjing with all the adjectives a man could have for his muse, hoping they're effective. "Adorable. Kind. Perf-"

"What are you doing, Yanjun?"

"Uhh, hi. Well, I was... talking, uh," Yanjun motions to his potted plant. "To my plant."

"Oh," Zhangjing wasn't looking at him, Yanjun noticed, and he bent down to level with his Cosmos. His fingers looked so soft, barely touching the bright pink petals with them. "That's nice, then. Mine would overhear them, too."

Yanjun clears his throat and nods. "They might die if they listen to my awful voice, though."

There was a crease on the club president's forehead. "Who would even say that?"

"No one, really. I just… think my voice is plain deep and ugly."

"But your voice is beautiful." It was a response that both of them didn't expect, so they just stare at each other like that in a long pause. "Not- I mean, yes. Just- your voice, it isn't... ugly. So, it's good. Yes."

Yanjun never got complimented for his voice, and it even matters more that his own crush did so. “Thanks. I like your voice, too.”

"Hmm. By the way Yanjun," Zhangjing's tone was a bit lower, and he now sports a serious face. "Since no one's around, I could give you an advice for this stubborn baby."

Yanjun looks attentively, successful in actually listening to the expert's words. "This one needs just a little water; you could even say it's drought resistant. Make sure to check the soil first. Give me your hand."

Zhangjing's hand was over Yanjun's, and they press against the soil in the pot. "Feel it?"

 _My heart? Absolutely_. "Y-yeah."

"It's a bit damp, right? That means it could survive a few more days without water. Some plants need a scheduled or even frequent watering, but this one doesn't. Consistency is good, but that isn't reliable at all times. Plants aren't human, but they aren't robots either."

Yanjun hums. "Alright, I'll keep you in mind."

"I'm sorry?"

"I said, I'll keep what you said in mind."

Both of them went red as roses. Some time later in the night, Yanjun knows he’ll be in his bed, torn between hoping Zhangjing heard what he said and not.

++

The club doesn't have to meet all the time, but for Yanjun who keeps his circle small and quiet, spending weekends in the university's botanical garden still sounds better than lazing around the dorms. Add to that are the few times he chanced Zhangjing there too. This brings Yanjun to reading a random page on the book that he has finished weeks ago while stealing glances at Zhangjing whenever the latter stops humming while trimming plants.

"How many days does it usually take you to finish a novel?" Zhangjing suddenly asks, and when Yanjun faces him, his eyes were somewhere else and- is that a smile? "I mean, I've seen you hold it with only a quarter of the book pages left last week. How come you're starting again?"

"Oh, I'm," Yanjun panics on the inside, scanning all the corners of his head for an answer that could sound valid enough. "I got distracted so I decided to start the whole thing over. Yeah." 

"Hmm okay." Zhangjing says slowly, seemingly unconvinced by the alibi. "Hey do you mind passing me the fertilizer for the Orchids?"

Yanjun stood up and went to check the bottom shelves to fish for the right jar. Now he’s met by an overwhelming number of the similar jars (there were only five, but that's many for someone who never saw these things before). "Uhh Zhangjing, which one?"

Zhangjing turns with a slight frown, and Yanjun understands that the club president is pretty dedicated to their plants and flowers, and probably wishes his new member helps himself sometimes. "For Orchids. Read the jar labels, Yanjun."

"Oh, that. Yeah, sorry." He skims through the labels and found the right one, before jogging back to Zhangjing. "Here."

"Thanks." The smaller boy turns the lid and scoops a little of the blue green crystalline powder, mixing it with the water in his hand pressure sprayer. "It's good that you're here with me every weekend, that way you would learn more."

Yanjun admittedly still had a lot of things to learn from President You, and that's okay. He could give all his weekends for that.

++

"So?"

"So what?"

"You're practically going on garden dates, Yanjun." Zhengting eyes him weirdly, and he feels his roommate’s intent on telling him off again. "What, you're just going to wait for your stupid flower to grow before you actually confess?"

Yanjun looks at Zhengting like he grew another head. Well. "How did you know that?"

"You're so-- you have all the time in the world, I mean, all those weekends, but you can't confess? What if your flower dies again? Did you think about that? What if Zhangjing grows tired of your shy ass-"

"At least I have an-"

" _Still_ ," Zhengting cuts him off, knowing so well that it's going to be that old _unfunny_ joke about the flatness of his behind again, but Yanjun still laughs in his head. "By now you're probably comfortable together. Heck, I was even with Kunkun when we saw you walking Zhangjing home with your stupid heart eyes even if his house is blocks away from our dorm."

"He said it's his exercise."

"Yeah, and not _your_ exercise. When did you start liking long walks, lazy ass?"

"For someone who's lazy enough to bribe me to make his Math projects ever since, you sure are brave enough to call me lazy."

Zhengting glares at him, looking exasperated. "Whatever, Lin Yanjun. Just go and ask Zhangjing to be your boyfriend already; maybe then you can say you aren't the lazyass who can't make your goddamn move on someone you like. Good night."

++

Gardening is hard, Yanjun initially thought. Today he discovers that confessing while you and your crush are gardening is nerve-wracking, he’d rather help Zhengting solve his Calculus homeworks instead. But he’s no coward, and decided to heed his roommate's advice today. Just like it was meant to be, Zhangjing left a message on the group chat yesterday night that he would be in the garden early this morning.

"You're here early too?" Zhangjing greets Yanjun with that signature bunny smile. "Oh, where's your apron? Come here, let me tie it for you."

He doesn't speak and just turns around while his target is unknowing, tying the ribbon tightly around his waist. He breathed in deeply before starting to talk. "I actually had something to ask you."

"Okay, but can you bring that large pot over here for me first, please. I have a lot of energy today! Let's start this morning right, Lin Yanjun!" Yanjun awkwardly smiles but follows the request, quickly bringing the large pot filled with garden soil over from the corner. "Thanks! So, what were you saying again?"

He huffs. That damned pot was heavy. He motions for Zhangjing to stop for a while as he tried to catch his breath.

Zhangjing giggles cutely. "Sorry. I really am excited though, I just discovered a place, so I'll be leaving earlier than you to revisit it!”

“Uh, could I tag along?" Yanjun blurts out, and he thinks Zhangjing was now looking at him incredulously for suddenly wanting to go where he’d go outside of their from-garden-to-home walks. “I mean, I have nothing much to do so, if it doesn’t bother you, I could perhaps, go with you, in case you need someone. But it’s okay, since you probably could manage by yourself, I just wanted to offer...”

All the nonsense he blabbered, he couldn’t quite remember himself; all that's running in his head are thoughts of an unknown place and Zhangjing, his You Zhangjing, all giddy and excited to go there as if there was something or someone so important there. And he was too curious not to go, not that he could do anything about it anyway. At least he's going to face his fear of losing his crush to the unknown like a real man. He almost didn't hear Zhangjing squeak out an _oh, no problem, sure, if you want to._

++

“I’m not telling anyone else about this yet,” Zhangjing says to him, his voice and their heavy footsteps echoing as they climb up the stairs of the Engineering building. “The people at the club could be really wild sometimes, so I wanted to see this by myself first if it would be perfect.”

They reach the top and Zhangjing pushed the door open, revealing the building’s rooftop. It was quite bright with how the whole place was just open air and right under the sun, and once again Yanjun caught the usual glimpse of a glowing Zhangjing. He seems to be in his element whenever he was around things he likes. “The racks out here currently aren’t in use. I asked the maintenance staff about these and they told me the club could take it if we think we could save it. Of course I said we could, and they brought me here.”

“Hmm. They still seem intact, and a little paint job won’t cost much to save them.” Yanjun examined the racks that looked a bit worn, but are made from steady material. It looked like they were really meant to hold a number of plants. “So, are we taking them to the garden?”

Zhangjing stops to look at him seriously, and Yanjun backtracks if he said anything wrong in that statement. He doesn’t think so, and what confirmed it was Zhangjing laughing at him. “You should’ve seen your face. Of course not, silly. We’re checking out the whole place, not just this pile of racks. I just joked with the staff about taking the whole rooftop instead, but then they said they’ll be working on a few papers and we can just start doing what we wanted to do. It must be my charms, right? Now we’re going to build another garden here. Right from scratch.”

The brilliant idea shone like a bulb above the president’s head, and Yanjun couldn’t understand how but he’s falling even deeper for this man and he’d be willing to build anything with Zhangjing at this point if he ever asked. “I’m in.”

“Of course you are, I had to bring you here when I thought I could give the club a surprise.” Zhangjing pouted, a glare that never meant anything thrown in his direction. “You just can’t get enough of me, huh?”

 _Do I admit that I do?_ The question just popped into his head and he blushed like mad. “I told you I didn’t have anything much to do.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zhangjing motions in the air, as if he knew the answer to the silly question that he asked. “Anyway, do you think we could list down stuff we need to fix the place? I mean, this is why I wanted to go early. But since there’s now two minds thinking, we could finish quicker!”

They needed a lot of stuff to bring and probably buy since they can’t really share the tools from the main garden with the rooftop’s. They sat on the floor, backs against the white walls. Yanjun was busy listing down the things Zhangjing dictates on a small notebook Zhangjing brought with him.

“I like how you are, Yanjun.” He was focused on writing, but the words were clear even in the strong gush of wind. “Some people think gardening is not their thing, or that it isn’t cool, and then they just ditch the whole idea like it’s nothing worth trying. But you came here with, no offence, not even a single knowledge on what we’re doing, yet you’re not giving up. You know you wanted to try, and you’re still trying. I really commend you for that.”

Yanjun didn’t want to think so highly of himself that he never thought about what Zhangjing has said. He used to say that he’s just in this club for Zhangjing, but he realizes that he’s discovered a lot of things not only about plants, but with the people in the club themselves. They were all striving for growth everyday, and are not scared to do whatever it takes. Justin, who had futile attempts on planting, is still inspired by his mistakes. Chaoze, who usually is busy, grows plants fit for his schedule. Nongnong, who was as delicate as his flowers, cared about the members as much as he does with the plants. Zhangjing, who was a perfectionist, gives everyone endless chances to stay and keep trying. “I like being here, Zhangjing.”

“You do, don’t you?” Zhangjing smiles.

“I do. Because you’re here.”

Silence.

“I wouldn’t have signed up if it wasn’t for you. But I ended up knowing more than what I thought I wanted to. From plants, to people,” Yanjun stops, eyes staring into Zhangjing’s widened ones. “To you.”

“I knew it,” Zhangjing dreamily sighs. “It really is my charm, am I right?”

“Do you really turn everything into a charm joke?” Yanjun tried rolling his eyes at his crush, keyword _tried_ , because Zhangjing is right. It’s his charms. And he doesn’t want to miss any more of it. His eyesmiles, his sharp yet funny glares, his everything--it all makes Yanjun want to stay trying. “I just wanted to know if you’re… accepting my feelings.”

Yanjun was pretty proud of himself for being straightforward about this, but he can suddenly feel the sass Zhangjing emanates. “I just want to inform you that I gave you seeds for a Bachelor’s Button. So technically, I confessed feelings first and this should be you accepting them.”

“Oh.” Of course, Yanjun remembers. The symbolic meaning of flowers. It’s not like he didn’t know, he just wasn’t the type to confirm things. “So I’ve read. It’s like asking me out but then--I’m so sorry--they died once, and now they still haven’t-”

“Exactly, so you better take care of them or else no feelings are officially accepted until then. I still want to see those aggressive flowers bloom, Yanjun! If it dies again, I swear…”

++

They were gathered around once again, this time in the new garden they started on the rooftop. Funding was almost short, but they pitched in, believing that the greens will always be an investment worth the penny. There was a lot of work to do, their garden aprons stained with soil and paint, but stomachs full with delicious hotpots they share at the end of the day. They managed through these together for a few weekends before they finally posted an announcement on the bulletin boards that the rooftop garden is officially open.

And of course, Yanjun’s own challenge still hasn’t ended. 

As they took the spots they liked where they would transfer a few of their own flower pots, everyone took turns to guess what went wrong with Yanjun’s plant. It’s going to be their “second initiation rites” later, but it would still be Yanjun’s first because, for the second time, his seedlings never made it. While the rest of the members felt excited, he was getting frustrated at the side, wondering if it was the lack of five positive words he tells his plant.

“I don’t think it’s excessive watering though,” Justin states as he inspected the soil and the dried leaves right in the middle of it.

“It’s not even the lack of it because it’s not dry.” Chaoze supplements. “Plus he follows the watering schedule I suggested.”

Nongnong pats his back, a gesture Yanjun’s getting too familiar with. “Well, you know the drill?”

Yanjun smiles sheepishly, and turns to Zhangjing- who just hands him another seed packet of Bachelor’s Buttons, no questions asked. _Oh, what he’d give to officially date him._ They’re almost there, Yanjun swears, fire reigniting in his chest. He wouldn’t have to doodle swirls on his notes anymore once he could freely run his fingers through those gorgeous locks. And Xiao Gui wouldn’t look at him like he was still some creep by then. And Yanjun’s going to share hotpots with Zhangjing soon, just the two of them. Soon, things will be 'meant to be', because he tried hard enough.

He takes the flower seeds from Zhangjing, hands lingering a bit longer against the Garden club president’s. “I’m trying again. This time, third plant’s the charm.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading up to here! Despite it being messy and all. Thanks to prompter for such an interesting prompt, I hope this was ok. Thanks to the mods for running this fest and being patient!


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